Mary Ann O'Donnell came to Shenzhen first in 1995, as a PhD candidate for anthropology with Rice University in Houston, Shenzhen's sister city. She ended up staying and documenting the role of urban villages in the city's development into an economic metropolis. Join us to learn about Mary Ann's role in this historic transformation. Coming from academia, Mary has since shifted her focus to art through the CZC Special Forces, a non-profit that uses art and research to engage urban villages and gives artists a chance to showcase their work and engage new audiences. Since 2005, she's also involved in Fat Bird, a legally registered independent theatre group, which hosts experimental workshops, guerilla performances and staged drama, one of which was performed during the Shenzhen Biennale earlier this year. During this month's Startup Grind Shenzhen event, we want to you to experience a different kind of startup story. Mary Ann has amassed a comprehensive blog at shenzhennoted.com.